Getafe 1-0 Real Betis: Diego Castro goal gives Getafe priceless victory

1-0 Diego Castro 30'

Getafe finally pick up a win as the league leaders fall in Madrid...
... It was far from easy, and could just as easily have gone the other way... 

Diego Castro's first half strike was the difference between joint-bottom Getafe and league leaders Real Betis at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez on Monday evening as the Azulones managed their first win of the season.

A surprisingly large and vocal crowd at the Coliseum saw the hosts come out swinging. Clearly eager to impress after their dreadful start to the season, the hosts took the game to the visitors from the outset, although Betis' high defensive line stymied many of Geta's early through balls.

The deserved opener came on the half-hour mark from the boots of Diego Castro. The former Sporting man opened his Geta account with an accurate finish into the roof of a defender-guarded net after superb work from  Juan Valera and Dani Güiza down the right.

Following the leitmotif for the season so far, Getafe were languid, even careless heading into the second half. Stand-off defending, poor positioning and slack play more than once saw Moyà forced to come off his line to make an impressive one-on-one stop as the defence stood still.

The home side had their chances too, of course, particularly after the introduction of the energetic Miku, but the final twenty minutes were mainly characterised by nerves. However, a banner performance from Moyà kept things, if not exactly comfortable, on course for victory.

Despite the loss, Betis remain top of the league after five rounds of matches, while Getafe's first win of the season lifts them out of the dropzone. At the weekend the Azulones travel to face big-spending Málaga.

Getafe: Moyà; Varela, Cata Díaz, Lopo, Mané; Rubén Pérez 37, Lacen; Pedro León (Míchel 77), Abdel (Sarabia 68), Diego Castro; Güiza (Miku 65). Real Betis: Goitia; Chica, Mario, Dorado, Nacho; Salva Sevilla (Jorge Molina 54), Matilla (Beñat 46), Iriney, Jefferson Montero (Vadillo 71); Jonathan Pereira, Santa Cruz.

Espanyol 1-0 Getafe: Late sickener makes it four without a win

1-0 Pandiani 90'

Getafe's horror start to the season continues with last-gasp defeat in Barcelona...
... Mediocre performance breeds heartbreaking result...

Walter Pandiani came off the bench to snatch a narrowly deserved win over Getafe on Thursday night, placing the Madrid side firmly in the dropzone after their taking just one point from four games.

The sole bright spot of the evening for Geta was the debut of Diego Castro, who recovered from injury in time to make his appearance at Cornella-El Prat.

Getafe's best chance of the game fell to full-back Juan Valera, who missed an easy opportunity in the second period. At the other end Juan Moyà put in a superb shift, but was denied on the rebound by Pandiani early in stoppage time.

The men in blue return to the Coliseum at the weekend to face free-scoring Real Betis in a match that, if not quite must-win, calls for a much-improved performance.

Espanyol: Álvarez; Galán, Jordi Amat, Héctor Moreno, Dídac; Verdú, Baena, Javi Márquez (Pandiani 76); Sergio García; Álvaro (Weiss 58), Thievy Koulossa (Rui Fonte 81). Getafe: Moyá; Valera, Cata Díaz, Lopo, Masilela (Miguel Torres 76); Rubén Perez; Pedro Ríos (Diego Castro 63), Casquero, Lacen, Abdel; Miku (Güiza 80).

Getafe 0-1 Rayo Vallecano: Winless run continues with derby defeat

0-1 Michu 5'

Azulones in trouble after close-run defeat to local rivals...
... Despite showing fight, the equaliser did not come - and neither will the points... 

Rayo Vallecano proved that they are more than Primera División makeweights with a confident but narrow win over struggling Getafe at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez early on Sunday.

The Vallekas outfit came looking for all three points and duly received them following a fifth-minute goal from Michu, the new arrival netting his first goal for the club from close range after a Piti corner.

Geta, starting with Pedro León and Dani Güiza together for the first time, tried their best to get back into the game. However, a combination of poor finishing and dogged defending saw them thwarted at every turn.

In fact it was to be a bad afternoon all round for the hosts as Pedro León limped off injured with 20 minutes remaining, perhaps signalling an end to his side's ambitions.

Unbeaten Rayo are now firmly in the top half of the table, while Getafe, with just one point from three outings, continue to flirt with the dropzone ahead of next week's trip to Espanyol.

Getafe: Moyá; Varela, Cata Díaz, Lopo, Masilela; Pedro León (Abdel 71), Juan Rodríguez (Rubén Pérez 37), Lacen, Sarabia (Pedro Ríos 60); Güiza, Miku. Levante: Dani Giménez; Tito, Arriba, Jordi, Casado; Movilla, Javi Fuego, Botelho (Pacheco 83); Piti (Delibašić 73), Michu; Tamudo (Lass 56).

Real Madrid 4-2 Getafe: Controversial penalty puts dampener on Miku masterclass

1-0 Benzema 13'
1-1 Miku 38'
2-1 Cristiano Ronaldo 58' (pen.)
3-1 Benzema 69'
3-2 Miku 73'
4-2 Higuaín 87'

Getafe show spirit but it's not enough to pick up second point of the season...
... Debatable penalty was a decisive moment as the Blancos go top...

Getafe left the Santiago Bernabéu unashamed but still empty-handed after a 4-2 defeat at the hands of title contenders Real Madrid. The men in white took an early lead and looked dominant, but a fine performance from Miku showed that there is fight yet in the Azulones, who may feel that the result in the end does not do them justice.

Both teams lined up 4-2-3-1, Getafe replacing the slightly injured Mané with impressive debutant Tsepo Masilela at left-back. Pedro León was unable to start due to a contractual issue with parent club Real Madrid, while Diego Castro remained sidelined and Dani Güiza benched due to the great form of Miku. José Mourinho's first eleven was broadly as expected, although Fabio Coentrão occupied a defensive midfield slot in order to give Marcelo a chance to play an attacking, lateral role from the left flank.

Real Madrid took the lead in the 13th minute after a frantic start. Karim Benzema finished off a superb, rugby-esque move that saw the ball passed from the left flank straight to the centre in mere seconds despite passing through four pairs of legs. It went Marcelo to Coentrão to Mesut Özil and finally to the French forward: possession was moved laterally, and inches forward, allowing Benzema to bury the ball with ease from just inside the box with the element of surprise on his side.

But Getafe have a habit of making life difficult for the capital giants, and thus it proved seven minutes from the break as Miku made it two goals in two games. The Venezuelan left his marker Pepe stranded as he got on the end of a short pass from Mehdi Lacen and blasted past Iker Casillas.

Geta grew in confidence in the second period but almost paid for a moment of lax goalkeeping ten minutes after the break when Moyá spilled a Benzema effort for Coentrão to stab home. However, the former Benfica star was correctly ruled offside.

Moyá had to be alert again shortly before the hour mark as Ángel Di María drove a thunderous shot off the crossbar from 20 yards, the 'keeper coming off his line quickly to catch the fly-ball of a rebound.

His and Getafe's luck ran out  as seconds later Real Madrid had a penalty. Cata Díaz was judged to have tripped Cristiano Ronaldo in the box: minimal contact was indeed made, but questions remained as to whether or not it was within the area. Moyá went the right way but Ronaldo's effort was strong, true, and bound for the corner, thus giving his side the lead for the second time.

Ten minutes later the game seemed to be over as a contest as Moyá came off his line, only to be beaten by a furious Benzema effort from a narrow angle. Ronaldo's cross-field ball for the striker was world-class and the finish was just as emphatic.

But Madrid hadn't reckoned on the form of Miku, who pulled one back from ten yards after a goalmouth scramble after Casillas had only parried Dani Güiza's effort.

This was not the start of a comeback, because as Getafe pushed forward Madrid hit on the break, permitting just-on Gonzalo Higuaín to finish the match with a cool effort four minutes from time after a through ball from ex-Getafe midfielder Esteban Granero.

Getafe face local rivals Rayo Vallecano at home next week in a match that could see Diego Castro make his long-awaited debut.

Real Madrid: Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Carvalho, Marcelo; Xabi Alonso, Fabio Coentrão; Di María (Kaká 71), Özil (Higuaín 86), Cristiano Ronaldo; Benzema (Granero 86). Getafe: Moyá; Valera, Miguel Torres, Cata Díaz, Masilela; Casquero (Güiza 70), Lacen; Pedro Ríos (Colunga 80), Juan Rodríguez, Sarabia (Abdel 70); Miku.